SHAH ALAM: Rural youth should aim for high-value careers and not view farming or handicraft as the ceiling of their ambitions, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said where a young person lived should not determine the type of work they pursued, noting that the real challenge facing rural youth was a shortage of opportunities, not a lack of talent.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said that, given the right opportunities, rural youth should aspire to become semiconductor technicians, software developers, drone operators, green energy specialists and technology entrepreneurs.
“I have never believed that rural children are less talented.
“Given the same room and opportunity, a young person from Gerik can compete with one from Kuala Lumpur,” he said when opening the Rural Youth Convention 2026 yesterday.
Ahmad Zahid also told the youth not to fear leaving home to study or work elsewhere, saying they did not need to remain in their villages to prove their attachment to them.
“If there is a chance to study in Kuala Lumpur, go. If there is a good job in Johor, seize it. If there is a chance to gain experience abroad, go and see the world,” he said.
He added that contributing to one’s village did not mean returning and settling down but rather channelling the knowledge and networks they had gained back to their respective communities.
Ahmad Zahid, who chairs the National TVET Council, said the nation had made progress, with the median monthly household income in rural areas rising to RM4,588 in 2024 and rural Internet access reaching 90.7% in 2025.
However, he noted that Internet access alone is insufficient.
“Internet must open up opportunities to earn income.
“Training must lead to better jobs. Infrastructure must help the local economy grow,” he said.
He also said that there is still room for improvement in youth employment, although the unemployment rate was around 3%, as joblessness among youth aged 15 to 24 remained at about 10%.
In a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence and automation, he reminded the youth that a qualification may no longer be enough.
“Skills are the new currency in today’s economy,” he said, adding that young people needed usable skills, the ability to solve problems and the capacity to create value.
He said 281 TVET institutions under his ministry offered 588 skills programmes to more than 70,000 students, with a graduate employability rate of about 96.2%.
More than 300 young people from across the country attended the convention held under the theme “Desa DNA Kita” (Our Village DNA).
